Bingo. Sums up my feelings exactly. And throw in a little 'I don't like being forced to be told what to buy', while you're at it.
A year ago, I installed two new light fixtures in my kitchen. Each uses six 13-watt CFL bulbs. These are wonderful, we're told, because they'll outlast incandescent bulbs by YEARS!
They began to burn out at 4 months. ALL TWELVE OF THEM EXPIRED BEFORE THE FIRST YEAR! In the store where I purchased the fixtures --- LOWES --- replacements cost 6 to 8 bucks EACH, because they have a 'special' base, unlike the common screw-in base. (Hmmmmm.. think 'screw' is the operative word...)
Oh, now I'm told that CFL bulbs shouldn't be turned on and off frequently. Shortens their life cycle. Swell, so we're encouraged to 'conserve energy' by leaving the lights on longer, instead of turning them off when not needed.
They should not be turned on and off at all. My older outdoor CFL's lasted 5-6 years staying on 24x7. Newer ones last less than that probably due to bad power at the new house (brown outs). Next switch will be to LED which can be turned off and on as frequently as desired.
I just had three CFL bulbs burn out in the last few months. They were in the kitchen and dining room (where we spend a lot of time). The kitchen one, especially, was turned on and off several times a day.
They were installed over 4 years ago. I never have had one die early. They were fairly cheap in a six-pack at HD. We got the warm color and I can’t see any difference between them and the old bulbs that only lasted about 3-4 months.